Photograph in Cuba!!! Dec 29 2018 to Jan 5th 2019

Tom and I will be bringing five people to Cuba for a Support the Cuban people intimate photo trip in December -- this is all about supporting and interacting with the Cuban people.

This trip is for ALL levels of photographer -- iphone/smartphone, mirrorless, dSLR, etc. It is about smiling and interacting not about f stops.

Sign up now with your $999 deposit

We will leave Dec 29th, coming back on Jan 5th. We found an absolutely wonderful LOCAL photographer and we are looking forward to bring people back to Cuba with us for our third trip there. We will be supporting the Cuba people -- the tour patronizes privately owned small businesses in Cuba, the itinerary is designed to expose you to the local Cuban people and steer funds toward its citizens, You will eat at a Paladares (privately run restaurants) and stay at Casa Particulares (privately run accommodation), meet Meet popular Cuban artists in their studios, plus you will have the opportunity to partake in a full schedule of activities focused on people-to-people interaction and cultural exchange. A full-time itinerary is required by US regulations.

The cost includes 8 days and 7 night, this includes ALL accommodations and ALL meals (but not your flight).

We will have a local bilingual guide for navigating Cuba and translating, plus a local photographer wwich allows us to gain access for more intimate people portraits (we will be visiting homes, activities, etc.). Tom and I are also with you to help with camera settings, image composition, etc. -- and with image selection. We will also offer a free post-processing class (offered once) after the trip -- those who come with us to Cuba can bring their images in and learn how to enhance them.

This trip will make you a better street photographer and you will leave "braver" (I did! instead of a long lens approach to street photography you will learn how to interact closeup with the people). No more photo voyeurism images of people!

We have tried to answer some questions here, but please email us at photographybyLisaAndTom@comcast.net if you have more questions.

You can see a sampling of our images in these two galleries. We still have some great photos yet to be edited...

http://www.breaphotosgalleries.com/Locations/Cuba-Color/ (http://www.breaphotosgalleries.com/Locations/Cuba-Color/)

http://www.breaphotosgalleries.com/Locations/Cuba-BW/

Cost

$4999 (or $5146 if paying the entire amount via PalPal).

This cost includes a double room (one or two beds). Add just $300 for a single supplement.

Sign up now with your $999 deposit

This trip includes:

-- All accommodations at casas which are like American BnBs (these are not luxury hotels mind you)

-- All meals which include one non-alcoholic drink and one alcoholic drink (additional alcoholic drink are on your own) Breakfasts are on the Casa terrace

-- Transportation to and from the airport in Havana

-- Bilingual guide and Bilingual local photographer

-- FYI, this does not include your flight, we flew direct from Newark to Havana; most people fly to Florida and fly from there. The airline provides the required medical insurance. The airport will also sell you your VISA. This is an approved people to people travel to Cuba. It is to serve the Cuban people in many many ways. For trip #1 and #2 we flew direct from Newark, ~$400, many people also leave from Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

FYI, there are no refunds -- so we advise you to take out travel insurance, we used World Nomands and it was $115 total for both Tom and me for insurance for the week. There are other travel insurance groups (www.insuremytrip.com (https://www.insuremytrip.com/)) but we used www.worldnomads for trips 1 and 2. You will need to sign a waiver, and you can always read our full class, tour, workshop policies here (http://www.lisaandtomphotography.com/p/workshops.html)

We exchanged money at the airport, but we spent less than $200 for the whole week -- we spent ~$20 on water and food, $10 on $1 tips (for some of the 'professional street characters, you know the type they are in NYC and in Vegas dressed up so you know before you approach that they want tips for photographs) and then we gave four $10 tips and one $70 tip (this $200 was for us as a couple mind you).

The exact itinerary is flexible as this is Cuba, but here are some details -- we will spend the first two nights in Havana, travel to Vinales for two nights there, and then the last nights will be back in Havana.

FYI, This trip does require walking, easy walking, flat walking, NOT strenuous or fast-paced or hills, but a lot of walking and photographing. We will take taxis sometimes and a van to Vinales, but walking every day will be part of this trip.

--In Vinales we will also visit a Tobacco Farm and learn about the growing, drying, and rolling process

-- visit streets not often frequented by tourists as well as some main squares and points of interest.

-- photograph colorful markets, courtyards and terraces as well as a vintage gym which provides a very unique atmosphere.

-- we will visit the Malecon and the Prado intersection. Making sure we are in the right place at the right moment, in the right light!

-- You will have the opportunity to go inside the houses of the locals

-- of course we will ride in and photograph the Classic American cars that cruise the streets as well as external colonial facades, laundry, chairs, and families on balconies.

We brought our Olympus EM1 Mark II with a 12-40mm lens (24-80mm equivalent for full frame) as the main daily lens. We used the 7-14mm and 14-150mm only a handful of times. I am not sure, but I doubt that we will bring those more extreme lenses with us next time. We also brought our 60mm macro lenses which also doubles as good portrait lenses. We did bring our tripods BUT we only used it in the early morning hours before breakfast. This was something that only Tom and I did -- we went out before the guides and rest of the group met us for breakfast.

Definitely, bring toilet paper and Purell, most public bathrooms have no TP.

Tourist travel to Cuba for US citizens is strictly prohibited (i.e you cannot go to Cuba and sunbathe on the beach or go to Cuba with no itinerary and have all free time). The US Embargo and travel restrictions remain in place for US Citizens and recently Individual travel to Cuba for US citizens has also been banned. There are still twelve categories of legitimate travel, including support for the Cuban people. Group travel is still allowed under the new support for the Cuban people; it must include a licensed Cuban tour guide, and a detailed itinerary including support for the Cuban people to be compliant with the requirements of the OFAC. Airlines do have direct flights to Cuba from NYC, Newark, Florida, etc. The airline fee also covers your required medical insurance. The airline will also supply ($50 fee) Pyour visas (issued by each airline at check-in) -- select reason #8 -- support for the Cuban people.

Again, if you have questions just email us at photographybyLisaAndTom@comcast.net.

Please note that all of our workshops require the participants sign a liability waiver. Download it; then print, read, and sign it and bring it with you -- Thank you! http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-waiver16 Please note that some locations will have you sign their liability waiver at the site as well.

Please note that this and all classes/workshops have no refunds. By signing up for our classes/tours/workshops, you agree to our terms and conditions, see www.photographybylisaandtom.com/p/workshops.html